Lauren Hicks
2021 Participant/Breast Cancer Survivor
St. John, USVI

As my husband and I excitedly boarded the plane to our Little Pink Houses of Hope St. John USVI retreat, we knew we were about to have a blast. We didn’t know, however, just how meaningful this trip was going to be. My cancer story up until the retreat was like any other metastatic breast cancer story… liver involvement, insurance, scans, pills, side effects, sick time, FMLA, doctors, doctors, and more doctors. We would soon realize that Little Pink Houses of Hope was about to change up my cancer story and introduce some words and memories like sunsets, ice cream, snorkeling, and generosity.

As I looked out the window just before we landed in St. Thomas, the beauty left me speechless. All I could say was “wow” over and over again. That was just the start! We were surrounded by beauty all week! The sunset on the first night left us craving more! Each evening, we found a new spot on the island to watch the sunset, including from a sunset boat ride! We enjoyed sightseeing and checking out the numerous ruins around the island.

When we first arrived to our room in St. John, we found a basket filled with souvenirs and gift cards from stores and restaurants. The kindness and generosity within that basket left me blown away! St. John is the home to some beautiful humans! One of our gift cards was for St. John Scoops, and I think we had ice cream 4 or 5 days while on the retreat! It was like being a kid again. We had nothing to worry about as we enjoyed our ice cream. The snorkel rental equipment that was donated gave my husband and I our favorite, most memorable time on the island. We snorkeled with sea turtles!!! I can never come up with the words to share how amazing this was! We had never snorkeled before but I hope we get to snorkel again!

My husband and I were blessed by this retreat. We had the time of our lives! We have new memories now as we reflect on my cancer journey. It’s not just doctors, scans, and side effects. It’s the remarkable time we had as a couple, experiencing joy, and making lifelong memories. And those memories are priceless.